Setting tool for bridging plugs



Aug. 10, 1943. l, M. SPANGLER SETTING TOOL FOR BRIDGING PLUGS Filed March l5. 1941 Patented Aug 10, 1943 SETTING TOOL FOR BRIDGING PLUGS Irl M. Spangler, Oklahoma City. Okla., assigner to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a

corporation of Delaware Application March 15, 1941, Selll N0. 383,607

(UL 16B-l) E Claims,

My invention relates to setting tools for bridging plugs; more particularly to setting tools adapted to connect a bridging plug with a wire line or cable in such a manner that the bridging plug may be lowered into position and set or secured in the well by operation of the setting tool, whereupon the setting tool and the cable are freed from the plug for removal. Among the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a setting tool which is adapted. to be suspended from a conductor core cable and is so arranged that its operation is initiated by completion of an electric circuit through the cable;

Second, to provide a. setting tool whereby the energy stored in a high pressure fluid container, forming a part of said setting tool, is utilized to operate a piston to cause setting of the bridging plus:

Third. to provide a setting tool which incorporates a. novel arrangement for releasing the high pressure iluid;

Fourth, to provide a bridging plug setting tool which, although compact and of small diameter, is capable of exerting ample force to set the bridging plug even under adverse conditions;

Fifth, to provide a setting tool which operates equally well whether in a dry well or submerged to great depths in liquid;

Sixth, to provide a setting tool incorporating a high pressure storage cylinder which forms a section of the setting tool but may be readily separated therefrom and stored for use, such cylinder preferably being charged with an inert gas; and

Seventh. to provide a setting tool which, after being employed to set a. bridging plug and removed rom the well, may be readily and quickly relieved of any residual pressure and conditioned for use, all with a minimum amount of assembly and disassembly of the setting tool.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a. elevational view of a bridging plug with my setting tool shown* in association therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the setting tool through 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is another longitudinal sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 1 and continuing from Figure 2.

The bridging plug for which my setting tool is adapted comprises a head member I and a foot member 2, between which are provided slips Il, cones l and a packing sleeve 5. 'I'he bridging plug is set by forcing the head and foot members toward each other to expand the slips on their respective cones and compress the packing sleeve between the cones. 'I'he setting tool acts upon the bridging plug by holding or forcing downwardly on the head member while pulling upwardly upon the foot member.

'I'he setting tool includes a sleeve II which rests upon the head member I and is connected at its upper end to a cylinder base I2 in the form of a nipple externally threaded at each end. A pull rod I3 is suitably connected with the foot member 2 of the bridging plug, preferably by a shear pin (not shown). 'I'he pull rod I3 extends upwardly through a packing gland Il provided in the cylinder base and is connected to a piston stem I5 through a coupling I6. A piston Il is carried on the piston stem I5. A cylinder Il for the piston is screw-threaded into the upper end of the cylinder base I2. The piston stem I5 projects upwardly above the piston Il and is provided with a passage I9 therethrough from its upper end through the piston. Outlet ports 20 communicate between the passage and the underside of the piston.

The upper end of the cylinder Ill is screwthreaded into a cylinder head 2l which is provided with a bore 22 adapted to receive the upper end of the piston stem. A suitable sealing means 23 is provided between the piston stem and bore 22 so that the piston stem may operate as a plunger in the bore 22 and form a sealed connection therewith.

A high pressure reservoir 24 in the form of a tank closed at each end is screw-threaded into the upper end of the cylinder head 2|. The high pressure reservoir is provided with a conductor tube 25 extending between its ends, the lowcr end of the conductor tube tting within a neck portion 2B projecting from the reservoir and ntting into a counterbore 2l provided in the cylinder head and communicating with the bore 22. A sealing ring 28 provides a seal connection between the neck 26 and the counterbore 21 in whichit fits, so that the conductor tube 25 is in communication with the underside of the piston through bore 22, passage I9 and outlets 2B.

The upper end of the reservoir 24 is provided with a head 29 in which is provided an olf-center socket 30 which receives the upper end of the conductor tube 25. The conductor tube is suitably sealed to the walls of the socket 30 so that the passage through the conductor tube ls isolated from the interior of the reservoir. socket 2U is closed by a plug 3 I.

The reservoir 24 is provided with a discharge port 22, preferably located centrally in the head 29. The discharge port 32 is closed by a seal disk 12 which is clamped in place by a plunger barrel 34. The plunger barrel 84 is provided immediately above the seal disk ll with lateral ports 35 which communicate with a passage 26 formed in the head extending from the ports 35 to the socket lil below the plug 3|, so that when the seal disk 23 is opened a passageway is formed from the reservoir through the discharge port 32. ports 35 and passage 36 into the interior of the conductor tube 25.

The plunger barrel 3l receives a plunger I1 having a pointed lower end adapted to pierce the seal disk 23. The upper end oi.' the plunger 21 is provided with a plunger head 3l which nts in a counterbore I9 formed in the upper end of the plunger barrel Il. Above the counterbore 39 the bore of the plunger barrel 3d is further enlarged to form a cartridge chamber I0. The upper end of the plunger head 38 has welded, soldered or otherwise secured thereto a retainer disk ll of easily ruptured material which initially holds the plunger 3l in an elevated position above the seal disk 33.

The cartridge chamber receives a cartridge 42 containing an explosive and preferably an electrically responsive fuse wire (not shown). The cartridge chamber is closed at its upper end by a breech plug I3, at the lower end of which is a terminal 44 connected to an insulated conductor I which extends upwardly through the breech plug and is Joined to a suitable contact head 46.

The counterbore 3H is provided with bleeder ports 4l so positioned that after the plunger has moved downwardly a. suilcient distance to rupture the sealing disk it permits the excess powder pressure to be vented laterally.

A sleeve All is screw-threaded to the reservoir head 29 and extends upwardly around the head and the breech plug 43 for connection to a cable head C which, in turn. is connected to a cable D.

The reservoir 24 is adapted to be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen, preferably of a high pressure, for instance, 1500 to 2000 pounds per square inch. This may be done through a filling port 49 Provided in the head 29, which port may be closed by a needle valve 50.

A counterbalancing plunger 5| may be provided. The counterbalancing plunger is mounted within the cylinder I8 above the piston I1 and extends upwardly along the side of the stem l5 and into a bore 52 and is provided With a suitable sealing means 53. The bore 52 communicates with the exterior through an inlet port 54. The counterbalancing plunger 5l may be connected to or rest upon the upper side of the piston il by means of a yoke 55. The counterbalancing plunger 5| is equal to the eiective diameter of the pull rod I3 so that. regardless of the head of iluid in which the setting tool may be immersed. the hydrostatic pressure of such fluid has no effect on the piston Il. It should be borne in mind that the setting tool may be operated under several thousand feet of liquid and that the pressure exerted on the pull rod by reason of the hydrostatic head may be equal to several hundred pounds.

Although the bridging plug may easily be arranged so that Ait will not set unless the force exerted is greater than that applied by reason of the unbalanced area oi' the piston i1 due to The the pull rod. it is preferred to control accurately the amount of torce applied to the bridging plug and such control is greatly facilitated by eliminating the variable due to the hydrostatic head.

Operation of my setting tool is as follows: The setting tool is attached to a bridging plug and suspended from a cable, as shown in Figure 1. The parts are in the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. When the setting tool and bridging plug have been lowered to the desired position the cartridge 42 is dred by electrical current supplied through the cable causing the plunger 31 to pierce the sealing disk 33. The high pressure gas within the reservoir Il is thereby permitted to pass upwardly through discharge port 32, then through ports 3B. passage 36. ccnductor tube 25, bore 22,'passage I9 and ports 20 to the underside of the piston i1. The size of the reservoir and the pressure of the gas contained therein is such that the force exerted on the pull rod exceeds that required to properly set the bridging plug. The shear pin or other means connecting the pull rod to the bridging plug is designed to give way at a predetermined load, which, o! course. is below the force capable of being applied to the pull rod. Thus, once the cartridge is set ofi the setting tool automatically sets the bridging plug, then shears the connect ing pin and is freed therefrom.

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

I claim:

l. A bridging plug setting tool comprising: a piston and cylinder operatively connected with a bridging plug; a closed container of iluid under high pressure; means dening an initially closed passageway between said container and said piston and cylinder; remotely controlled means for opening said passageway; and means for hydrostatically balancing said piston against fluid in which the setting tool may be immersed.

2. A bridging plug setting tool comprising: a piston and cylinder operatively associated with said bridging plug; a closed container of inert gas; means defining an initially closed passageway between said container and said piston and cylinder; the pressure and volume of gas in said container being such that after expansion into said cylinder to move said piston the residual pressure remains above that required to cause setting of the bridging plug; means for opening said passageway; and means for hydrostaticaily balancing said piston against iluid in which the setting tool may be immersed. y

3. A bridging plug setting tool comprising: a piston and cylinder operatively connected with a bridging plug; a reservoir for gas under high pressure. said reservoir being in the form of a cylindrical container connected with said cylinder and suspended from Va. cable; means deilning a passageway from the upper end of said reservoir to said piston and cylinder; a closure for said passageway at the upper end of said reservoir; means for opening said closure; and means for balancing said piston against the hydrostatic pressure of fluid in which the setting tool may be immersed.

4. The combination with a well device adapted to be operated by relative longitudinal movement of its parts and a cable for suspending said devices in a well bore, of a setting tool interposed between said device and cable and comprising: a

cylinder connected with one part of said device a piston for said cylinder; a stem connecting said piston with another part of said device; a container of high pressure fluid; means dening a passageway from said container to said piston and cylinder; a rupturable seal initially closing said passageway; and an explosively operated means for rupturing said seal.

5. The combination with a well device adapted to be operated by relative longitudinal movement of its parts and an electric cable for suspending said device in a well bore, of a setting tool interposed between said device and cable and comprising: a piston and cylinder connected with the relatively longitudinal parts of said tool; a, container of high pressure uid connected to and extending coaxially upwardly from said cylinder; means defining a passageway from the upper end of said container through said container but isolated therefrom, to said cylinder; a seal between the upper end of said container and said means; an electrically responsive device electrically connected with said cable for opening said seal; and a cable head for said cable, said container forming a connecting link between said cable head and said cylinder.

6. The combination with a well device adapted to be operated by relative longitudinal movement of its parts and an electric cable for suspending said device in a well bore. of a, setting tool inten posed between said device and cable and comprising: a piston and cylinder connected with the relatively longitudinal parts of said tool; a container of high pressure uid connected to and extending coaxially upwardly from said cylinder; means defining a passageway from the upper end of said container to said cylinder; a shear disk between the upper end of sald container and said means; a. punch for said shear disk; and an electro-explosive means for operating said punch.

IRL M. SPANGLER. 

